


Adverse Events

by dispatch



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dune Setting, Frank Herbert's Dune References, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:40:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24936202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dispatch/pseuds/dispatch
Summary: Trapped in the outer rim, Captain Rex takes a chance to save them all.A Dune AU with Dune spice replacing SW Spice and possible giant desert worms
Relationships: CC-1138 | Bacara/CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody/CT-7567 | Rex
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	Adverse Events

**Author's Note:**

> Read an article that mentioned George Lucas stealing spice as a drug from Dune. Could not find any Dune AU in all the fics so realized I had to make my own. This is based on ten plus old remembrance of anything Dune related. So it's mostly hand wavey Dune things where I pick and chose things liberally. You do not need any knowledge of the Dune series, since I barely remember it either. 
> 
> Warning: if you are uncomfortable with the idea of drug use, please be advised it is a major plot point in this.
> 
> Side effects of spice: extended life, blue tinted sclera, cornea and iris, access to genetic memory, rumored ability to navigate the warp lanes. Highly addictive, withdrawals can kill you

It’s when they are hauling in the last of the spice pirates that everything goes down stream.

“You’re not going to like the consequences of your actions,” the pirate captain hissed as he was drug toward the brig.

“I think that went pretty well,” Kix hauled the door closed.

Like a rolling wave the whole ship rocked.

Jesse dropped his kit and swore when the klaxons went off. “Why’d you have to say that?” 

*

“The nav systems are completely fried,” Jesse confirmed. “We can’t run around with the nav droids. As far as I can tell, unless the rest of GAR manages to track us, if they even know they need to track us down, I think we’re screwed,” He smacked the systems terminal. The angry little red light kept flashing at them. “Sir,” he added belatedly.

At least the hyperdrives are still working, Rex reminded himself. Though without a nav computer, any jump would kill them.

Some di’kut pirate had set off a experimental EMP taking out the entire pirate fleet and the GAR cruiser. Half the AIs had shut down and the others were so glitched they couldn’t safely be run.

“No word yet on comms either,” Jesse added. Rex already knew that, but the it seemed to force a point. Five days and no change, Rex was starting to think they would never get out of there. Well, there was one way that Rex could think of. He didn’t like the idea of it, but he didn’t like the idea of being permanently stranded either. Every day without signal from the fleet and it was less chance of being found.

“No,” Kix ground out. He must have been able to read Rex. Yesterday one of the newer clone troopers had brought up alternative uses of spice. At everything they could find, the the shiney maybe right. The obscure history of spice was that it originally came from a desert planet in the far outer rim. A now extinct race that used it to travel the hyper lanes before they had navigational systems.

“It’s our chance to get out of here,” Rex waved at the view. The far outer rim was wide and beautiful, but also empty for light years. 

“There hasn’t been any successful studies that went into it,” Kix argued. “It’s speculated you have to take ten times the amount normally used recreationally and near consistently to get that sort of effect. You’re more likely to overdose.”

“That’s exactly why I have to be the one that does it.”

“Jesse!” Kix hissed, tagging the other in.

“This is bantha poodoo, sir,” Jesse supplied.

“Noted,” Rex huffed a laugh.

“It could kill you,” Kix tried again later as helped one of the natborn doctors set up the exam table. The spice had been transformed into a gas, one of the techs managed to shove it into several portable inhalers.

“I agree with Kix,” the Doctor Bridges said, “spice is addictive. Even this one episode, especially with the dosage, and you may start symptoms of withdrawal within hours.”

“I don’t think we have a choice.”

“You better not be leaving me in charge of this mess,” Jesse warned from where he had followed them into the med center.

“It’s going to be fine, Kix,” Rex grabbed the medic’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. Sometimes a brother just needed assurance. Even if it was a lie.

Kix shuddered, swearing under his breath, he shoved the inhaler at Rex.

“Start breathing slow, Captain. And- We’ll see, I guess.”

With the first inhale, everything seemed to sharpen. With the second, he could see it. Almost. On the corners of his vision, just barely trailing out of sight. Long streams of gold paths that flowed across space. He could touch it, he thought hazily. And figure out where it goes.

“How are you feeling, Captain?” Rex startled and looked over at Kix. He had forgotten he was there.

“Fine,” Rex tried, not really sure, “Just fine, I think.”

“At least your not going into cardiac arrest,” Doctor Bridges commented.

Kix held the scanner up as if to double check. A sharp pain in Rex’s arm when Kix stabbed him with a random syringe, Rex blinked slowly. “And you are high enough to orbit a moon right now,” Kix added. “But you’re stable.”

On the other side of the room Jesse had propped himself against a table, arms crossed and scowling.

 _“This is karking insane,”_ Jango Fett snarled. Rex blinked and it was Jesse again.

“This is karking insane,” Jesse snarled.

“Frak,” Rex breathed. Kix stopped and stared at him, alarmed. “I’m fine,” Rex repeated. More unsure, but nothing could be done about it now. He waved a heavy arm at him, shoving Kix off when he tried to intervene as he slid off the bed. Taking unsteady steps toward the bridge, knowing his vode would follow. He could hear them arguing quietly behind him. Somewhere else he could hear hundreds of his brothers whispering. Rex shook his head. _Focus, focus, focus._ The lines he thought, focus on the paths that led… somewhere. Maybe.

As the seconds passed, the trails that peeked from his peripheral had become brighter. 

“I can do this,” Rex said. And he knew he could, every part of him seemed to scream. The golden paths danced ahead as he entered the bridge. They had left the command chair empty and he gratefully dropped into it. Yanked up the ships yoke into place.

“I can do this,” Rex repeated, louder. The fog starting to shift again, as though what he could see was suddenly decipherable. The shining trails so obvious

“Karking- kark. Frak this, sir,” Jesse bit out. “This is going to go so bad.”

“Relax, LT,” Rex was grinning now. Giddy excitement starting to rush through his veins. _There it is_ , he breathed out slowly. _Focus, focus._ He was definitely high right now. 

The hyperdrive engines softly purred as Rex shifted them on.

 _“Just follow it home,”_ the ghost of Fives sang softly.

“Everyone should probably grab a seat,” He announced when it occurred to him. Jesse swore again, dropping into a observational chair. Ahead of them the gold seem to call to him. The brothers beyond marched endlessly. He could feel it all. “This will be fun.” Rex could’t stop himself from laughing.

*

“Never again,” Jesse twisted out of the restraints. One of deck officers had fallen into the data pits, Kix leaned over to drag him back up. 

“Where are we?” Kix looked at the flashing nav computer that still flashed a frag screen.

“Where we should be,” Rex told them. He had thought home and he had come here. The gold strands were starting to become distant again, no longer needed. Rex peered up to see where they hand landed.

“Look behind the moon,” one of deck officers brought up the visual. Just barely through the belt debris Rex could make out a venator class frigate breaching the moon’s horizon. “I think it’s Nova Corp.”

 _“Home,”_ a distant brother sighed.


End file.
